Remi Kolawole is a morally-inclined lyricist. At this point in his career, the only thing tainting his halo is a few curse words and a pocket full of ciggies. The 23-year-old Melburnian is a child of hip hop and philosophy, so expect no less on this new free mixtape Call It What You Want (F.Y.G. ACT:2).
All seven tracks, produced by the quietly epic Sensible J, pay tribute to the pair’s careful selection of musical influences. Beats are borrowed from a group of mismatched artists, including Nick Cave and fellow locals Hiatus Kaiyote. But it’s all conceptually motivated; after some serious melodic tweaks and tempo shifts, these tunes are only a faint echo of their prototypes.
In terms of theme, the record takes no hardline direction. Along with from saluting a few great artists, Remi hops from hot button topics like violence against women on Hey You to hitting up the local pub on Melbourne Knights. At times it can feel a tad scrappy, but it’s a super decent seat-warmer until the rapper’s next official release, which is due to drop at the back end of this year.
BY JESSICA ANKOMAH
